NEW YORK (AP) — Dan Marshall’s toy store should be crowded this time of the year with parents and grandparents buying gifts and children trying out games. Instead, only a handful of customers are in Mischief Toy Store at any time, and their visits are short and efficient.
Yet while the coronavirus outbreak is giving Marshall his most challenging holiday season in over 20 years in business, his priority is keeping everyone — customers and all the workers in his family-run business — safe. So, he’s encouraging shoppers to buy from the Mischief Toy Store website or order by phone rather than at the St. Paul, Minnesota, shop. He also arranges for virtual shopping trips, where customers can see the store’s merchandise online.